The Nuclear Debate

President Truman’s use of nuclear weapons has always generated controversy. There was little public debate at the time, however. Do you think President Truman’s decision to use nuclear weapons was justifiable, either militarily or morally? Stage a debate among your classmates or friends in which you argue for or against Truman’s decision.

A-maze-ing Tunnels

The underground city of Derinkuyu was made of a series of tunnels and caves, which could fit about 20,000 people! The city had stables, cellars, storage rooms, and chapels, just like an aboveground city. You can make your own tunnel city.

Aeolipile

In this project, you can recreate the work of the Greek mathematician Hero, using water instead of steam. The basic principle of action and reaction is the same—for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. As the water shoots out of the holes in the carton, it pushes on the carton with an equal force.

Alka-Seltzer Rocket

Anemometer

An anemometer measures wind speed. The Wright brothers used a handheld anemometer to estimate wind speed when they tested their flying machines. You can make an anemometer to record wind speed near your home.

Backyard Bioengineering

Bioengineering has been around for a long time. People look to nature to design products that fit certain needs. We can also simply observe nature and see how it works. Inspiration can strike and you might be able to think of a way to improve an existing design.

Bags o' Bread Mold

Fungi lack chlorophyll, so they can’t obtain energy from the sun and can’t produce their own food. To get energy, many fungi feast on dead organisms. Mold is a fuzzy, multicellular fungus that flourishes in many environments. It reproduces with spores. You can grow your own mold on slices of bread. What happens when you place them in different environments?

Barter Chart

When you barter, you have to decide if one thing is worth as much as another thing. Think of six different kinds of candy. Are they all the same size? Do you like them all equally? What would it take for you trade them?

Be a Sky Watcher

It is not possible for you to observe a comet each night, but you can observe the moon and the stars. In this activity, you are going to observe the stars during the period of a week using only your eyes. Write down your observations and draw pictures in your science journal.

Blood Spatter Patterns

Blood spatter is a collection of blood spots, which may be different sizes and shapes depending on how they were formed. Blood spatter differs depending on the amount of blood, the speed of the drop, the angle at which it hits the ground, and the distance the drop travels.

Build a "Mini-Yurt"

Different ethnic groups within China had their own unique building styles. For example, the nomadic Mongols often built yurts, which were rounded tents held up by a wooden pole framework. They were covered by skins and were easy to move.

Build a Balance Board

Earth’s atmosphere is in a delicate balance. Humans are adding carbon dioxide at a rapid rate. The atmosphere needs to stay in balance just like your balance board, but it doesn’t take much to create an imbalance.

Build a Miniature Bullboat

Native Americans living in the Great Plains, including the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes of the upper Missouri River area, weren’t just hunters. They also fished in the many rivers that wind through the Plains. Some of these rivers, like the Missouri and Knife Rivers, are so big that Native Americans needed boats to cross them. It should be no surprise that bison were used in making these boats,. . . MORE

Build a Model of the Arm

The arm is made of three main bones: the humerus, ulna, and radius. These bones support the arm and provide attachment points for the muscles that move the arm. Joints at the shoulder and elbow give the arm a wide range of motion and flexibility. In this project, you will build a model of an arm and recreate its movement.

Building Bridges

Forces act on everything, even things that are standing still. Engineers need to understand forces when they build structures such as bridges. Let’s see how different bridges support the forces that are placed upon them.

Burning Fossil Fuels

Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere. Large quantities of carbon dioxide are linked to global climate change. Humans release on average annually about 64 trillion pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That is like releasing 3.2 trillion watermelons into the sky every year. Since greenhouse gases are invisible, colorless, and. . . MORE

Can You Spot Mercury?

Although it’s one of the brightest objects in the sky, seeing the closest planet to the sun isn’t easy. As seen from Earth, it never strays far from the sun’s blinding glare. Many famous astronomers are rumored to have never seen the elusive planet.

Chart of Businesses

Cloud Forest Terrarium

The Andean cloud forest is found on the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains. The warm, humid air from the Amazon basin makes its way up the mountains where it is blocked by cold, denser air there. The trapped air drops its moisture in the form of clouds and mist, quenching the thirst of the plants that grow in this unique ecosystem. A terrarium made from a soda bottle works like the cloud. . . MORE

Compare the Decades

In 2008, a recession took place in the United States that seemed to echo the Great Depression of the 1930s. Called the Great Recession, it was a time when unemployment spiked in 2008 and 2009 and many people lost their homes. How was this recession similar to the Great Depression?

Conduct an Interview

The Vietnam War ended in 1975, which means that many people from this era are still alive today. Despite the many books and films that have been made about this war, the best way to get a personal understanding of this period is by speaking with someone who remembers it.

Converting Units

Chemistry uses many types of measurements. Some of the most common include distance, mass, time, temperature, volume, density, pressure, amount, concentration, energy, velocity, molarity, viscosity, and electric charge. Each of these can be measured in different ways. For example, mass can be measured in pounds, ounces, grams, and kilograms. Because of these differences, chemists must know how. . . MORE

Cook a Hoe Cake

The simple cornmeal pancake has long roots in America. It was George Washington’s favorite breakfast. The dish gets its name from a flat pan called a hoe griddle. Enslaved people did not have this type of griddle. Instead, they baked their corn cakes on garden hoes in fires near the fields where they worked. Try your hand at cooking this staple of a slave’s diet.

Covered Wagon

Covered wagons were about 10 feet long and 4 feet wide. They were covered by canvas laid over the top of a wooden hoop frame. A team of oxen usually pulled the wagon, which held most of a family’s food and supplies for the 4- or 5-month journey. They could hold up to 2,500 pounds of supplies. Some families traveled with more than one wagon. Covered wagons were often called prairie schooners. . . MORE

Create a Shakespearean Timeline

Every writer, artist, musician, or other cultural visionary is at least partly a product of their time. What might the history of Shakespeare’s era have contributed to the poems and plays he wrote that we enjoy today?

Credit, Then and Now

The 1920s saw the birth of consumer credit, with charge accounts at stores, credit cards, and installment loans. Today it’s hard to imagine modern life without these kinds of credit. Yet in both eras, families often found themselves in severe financial hardship due to overusing easy credit and then not being able to pay their bills.

Darwin's Finches

In 1835, Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands, in the Pacific Ocean. While there, he noticed several different types of finches. These birds were very different from the finches Darwin had seen in England. The finches on the different islands had beaks of various sizes and shapes. A finch’s beak structure determines what it can eat most efficiently. A finch with a tiny beak cannot. . . MORE

Design Your Own Official Seal

Now that you have some ideas for symbols for your country, use them to create your micronation’s official coat of arms and a seal. Seals were originally designs pressed into a soft piece of wax with a mold. A seal put on a document shows that a person or government official has approved it. Today, seals are usually stamped on with an inkpad or pressed into a piece of paper with a special tool. . . MORE

Dominant vs. Recessive Traits

As Mendel discovered in his pea plant experiments, some human traits are controlled by dominant and recessive genes. Parents pass the genes that control these traits to their offspring. Which inherited traits do you have?

Explore Different Types of Government

Every form of government has key features and characteristics that define it. For example, in a democracy, the citizens vote on laws and policies, but in a totalitarian country, the ruling party makes all decisions about public and private life. In this activity, you will explore how different forms of government would impact your classroom or family.

Extract Your Own DNA

In the movie Jurassic Park, biologists extract dinosaur DNA from mosquito-like bugs that were preserved for millions of years in amber. Today’s scientists have not yet turned this fiction into fact, but you can easily see your own DNA in your own home.

Greek Gods Memory Game

Greek gods and goddesses were linked to symbols or objects that reflected their interests and personality. Many had more than one symbol. In this game, you will design one playing card for each god and goddess and one for their corresponding symbols. You can use images of the gods and their symbols within this book for reference or ask an adult to help you find images online.

Honey Bee Journal

How Far Can You Go?

Why do some animals migrate so far, and some stay so close to home? This activity will help you think about why different kinds of animals travel different distances when they migrate. For this activity you will need a few people: one to call out animal names, and the others to be migrating animals.

Invisible Ink

Juggling Sticks

Juggling sticks have been around for thousands of years, but no one is quite sure how they made their way to Europe. Some people believe that they may have come to Europe from China (where they were called Devil sticks) along the Silk Road with Marco Polo. The Silk Road was an ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea. Marco Polo was a merchant and adventurer from Venice,. . . MORE

Kinetoscope

The kinetoscope was a wooden box used to look at images made on a kinetograph. A kinetograph took many quick pictures in a row. People paid a nickel to look through a slit in the box to see the images in motion. You can make your own kinetoscope and motion picture.

Kitchen Paleontologist

When paleontologists discover fossil bones, they are usually scattered over an area. Sometimes the bones of more than one creature are mixed together. Perhaps the bones can be put together, but a piece is missing. This activity will give you an idea of what paleontologists do.

Knitting Spool

Before the power loom was invented, weaving and knitting were slow, tedious tasks. Try hand weaving with your own knitting spool. With a few simple items and some yarn, you can create a knitted tube that you could use as a bracelet, belt, or skinny scarf!

Lean-to Shelter

If you don’t have access to a backyard full of branches, you can use any sort of stick or pole such as broom or rake handles, ski poles, or garden stakes. You could build your lean-to up against the wall of a building. If you decide to do this, you may want some other stabilizing sticks in order to hold it up. If you want to build your lean-to inside, build it against a bed, couch, or other. . . MORE

Loom and Cloth

Make a Cardboard Arcade Game

In 2011, nine­-year­-old Caine Monroy built working cardboard versions of his favorite arcade games in his dad’s auto parts shop, including a basketball toss and a tabletop soccer game with plastic army men. A customer named Nirvan Mullick liked Caine’s Arcade so much, he invited lots of people to come and play. Mullick also made a short documentary about Caine’s Arcade, and Caine. . . MORE

Make a Hanging Garden

King Nebuchadnezzar (NEBUH- KUHD-NEZ-ER) ruled over the Babylonian Empire from 605 to 562 BCE. He married Queen Amytis (A-ME-TIS) of Media, an area in what is now the country of Iran. According to legend, Queen Amytis was quite homesick for the lush, green mountains of Media. King Nebuchadnezzar had the Hanging Gardens built to cheer her up and to remind her of her homeland.

Make a Manga-style Sketchbook

Make a Plumb Bob

Ancient Romans used simple tools to build their roads, homes, buildings, and aqueducts. One of these simple tools was a plumb bob. A plumb bob uses gravity to help a make a straight line. Plumb bobs worked so well that many carpenters and builders still use them today!

Make a Poetry Journal

Most poets carry a notebook around with them wherever they go. Why? In case they think of something when they’re not at their desk! Inspiration can happen at any moment, and it’s a great idea to keep all of your poetry thoughts and drafts in one place.

Make a Rainbow Myth Window Hanging

In the Bible, God creates the rainbow as a symbol of his promise never to send another flood to destroy mankind. For the ancient Greeks, the rainbow was the goddess Iris. She carried messages from Earth to the heavens. The Norse believed that a rainbow bridge connected Middle Earth with Asgard, the home of the gods. In Japan, the rainbow was considered the Floating Bridge of Heaven. In. . . MORE

Make an Egyptian Headrest

Egyptian headrests were made of many kinds of material. Most were carved out of wood. Pharaohs’ headrests were often made of ivory or gold. The directions for this project call for gold spray paint, but you can decorate your headrest any way you’d like. You’ll be using wire cutters and spray paint for this project so have a grownup nearby. This project is messy. Put plenty of newspaper on. . . MORE

Make Your Own Barometer

One way you can predict the weather is by using a barometer. Barometers measure the air pressure around you. Keep track of the air pressure, and see what kind of weather happens the next day. After some practice, you might be able to make your own forecasts!

Make Your Own Berry Ink

Make Your Own Compass

Before to the compass, sailors used landmarks and the position of the sun and stars to tell them which direction to sail. They often kept within sight of land, in case it became foggy or cloudy. The invention of the compass allowed sailors to navigate safely away from land. A compass’s magnetized needle aligns itself with the lines of the earth’s magnetic field. When the compass is level,. . . MORE

Make Your Own Freshwater

The water cycle takes salt water from the ocean and turns it into freshwater. When the salt water evaporates, it leaves the salt in the ocean. When the water vapor cools and turns into rain, it falls as freshwater! This is how rain fills lakes and rivers with freshwater. In this activity, you can explore how the water cycle turns salt water into fresh!

Make Your Own Gordian Knot

One legend says Alexander conquered Asia by solving the puzzle of the Gordian Knot. According to a prophecy, whoever untied this endless knot would rule the continent. Alexander took the direct approach—he cut the knot open with his sword. Today, a “Gordian knot” means an unsolvable problem. No one knows exactly what the Gordian Knot looked like. But you can make a knot called a Turk’s. . . MORE

Make Your Own Igneous Rocks

When a volcano erupts, the rocks that form can have minerals that are big enough to see, or so small they can’t be seen. Sometimes a mineral doesn’t form at all and the rock is a glass. Try some of your own “lava” to see why each of these types of rocks form.

Make Your Own Jumping Jack

A jumping jack is a puppet that is usually made from wood with strings connecting the joints. It is one of the earliest types of mechanical toys to use levers. The arms and legs of the puppet move up and down when the string is pulled. Try this activity to make your own jumping jack.

Make Your Own Longhouse

The Iroquois men built their longhouses in the spring when the trees were young and flexible. Longhouses were large enough for 20 or more families to live in. Native Americans used materials that they found in nature. They believed that nothing should go to waste. Build a longhouse using as many natural resources as you can find, including dried weeds, straw, and twigs.

Make Your Own Marshmallows

Ancient people used a plant to make marshmallows, but that’s not how we make them today. If you’ve never created your own marshmallows before you’re in for a treat! They’re easy to make, and they taste fantastic!

Make Your Own Plastic

While this recipe doesn’t involve boiling lilies or eggs, combining the following ingredients over heat will result in a natural plastic that you can shape, dry, carve, and paint, very similar to Leonardo’s plastic glass.

Make Your Own Shake Table

Architects and engineers who design buildings in areas prone to earthquakes try to create structures that will be stable if an earthquake hits. a shake table is used to shake a model and see what happens. It makes the same motion as an earthquake. You can see what it’s like when you build your own shake table and then try to create structures that can withstand the force of moving earth. . . MORE

Make Your Own Soap Boat

The colonists’ trip to America took two or three months by sea on large ships. The ships could be about 100 feet long. These ships had to carry enough supplies for the long journey. Some of those supplies were food and water, clothing, guns and gun powder, tools and candles. The colonists brought the things they would need for their new lives with them. In this activity you can make your own. . . MORE

Make Your Own Sundial

Shadows change direction depending on the time of day. As the earth rotates and the sun moves across the sky, shadows also move. In the morning, your shadow will stretch out behind you to the west, but in the evening it will stretch to the east. The shadow on your sundial does the same thing.

Make Your Own Victory Banner

During World War II, families made patriotic banners called victory banners or sons-in-service flags to show their support for their sons, fathers, and brothers battling far away on the front lines. Banners were hung from a window or door at the front of the house where everyone could see them. The banners were white rectangles with a red border, and featured a blue star for every family member. . . MORE

Makerspace Journal

Both engineers and scientists keep track of many things. They write down observations about what they see around them and questions they have as they work on projects. Scientists record the steps they take each time they work on a scientific project while engineers write down the changes they make to their inventions. Create a special journal or notebook to help you keep track of the. . . MORE

Map Your State's Natural Resources

Make a three-dimensional map to give you an understanding of the natural resources in your state. This map will include natural resources found in your state, such as fish or forests, but not products made by them.

Marshmallow Tower

Measure the Movement of Plates

You’ll need to have a lot of patience for this project. If you stick with it, you’ll have a great understanding of how the continents move! Ask an adult to help you find a location where it is safe and acceptable to use pins that will remain undisturbed for at least a month. You don’t want to use a nice wall in the house!

Microscopes

Microscopes have come a long way since the Dutch first created compound and simple microscopes. A microscope is simply an optical device that magnifies objects. Many standard microscopes have built-in light sources to improve the view. We call them light microscopes. These compound microscopes have a lens in the eyepiece and more lenses closer to the specimen.

Mini Food Chain

Model Lungs

Lungs aren’t muscles that move themselves. Instead, they depend on air pressure in your chest cavity and movement from your diaphragm and chest muscles to inflate and deflate. Here’s how you can see this in action.

Night Watch

On the Straight and Level

In the introduction you made a plumb bob that used gravity to make sure things are vertical. Now you can make a water level, a tool that uses gravity to make sure things are straight across! The water level works because when water is in a confined space, gravity makes sure the top of it is level.

Origami Solar System Mobile

All the members of our solar system travel around the sun. The route they travel is called an orbit. Each planet’s orbit is different. Like runners at the Olympics, each has a separate lane. The planets do not switch lanes because the sun’s gravity keeps them in their place. If there was no gravity the planets would simply spin off into space like bumper cars. Imagine that!

Paint the Oregon Trail

In the nineteenth century, many artists used the American West as a canvas for artistic expression—George Catlin, Frederick Remington, and Charles Marion Russell are some of the most well known. Art of the American West presented the artist’s perspective of specific events and or locations. Whether the subject was a cowboy, Native American, or a landscape, the paintings often conveyed. . . MORE

Passive Dynamic Mini-Walker

A passive dynamic walker doesn’t need a motor or actuator of any kind. Its only power source is the force of gravity! Also called a ramp walker, this system of walking works best on a slightly downward-tilted surface. Give it a little push and gravity will pull it downhill the rest of the way. This method of walking doesn’t just save energy, it looks more natural too. Here is one way of. . . MORE

Peach Blossom Scroll

In the seventeenth century, an artist painted the fable The Peach Blossom Spring on a long piece of silk called a handscroll. Handscrolls are viewed from right to left. Design your own handscroll based on the fable.

Point A Masterpiece

Power Paper

Think about some words you might associate with paper, such as thin or rip, and then think of the words you might associate with a textbook, such as heavy. Do you think that sheets of paper could support the weight of one of your textbooks? Why or why not?

Predator and Prey Journal

Good scientists keep track of many things. They write down the things they wonder about and the questions they ask. They record the steps they take in the scientific method. Create a special notebook to help you keep track of what you do and learn about predators and prey.

Reading Seasons from a Shadow

Each day the sun appears to move across the sky from east to west (actually the sun stays in place and the earth spins on its axis). Although the sun may seem to rise and set at the same spot on the horizon each day, the path it takes between those two points varies over the course of the year.

Recycled Paper

This is a two-part activity, and this first part is messy. After you create your own recycled paper, go outside to Investigate Your Home Turf. Go outside and ramble around your home, school, a park, or a natural area. Drink in the sights and sounds of your environment. Does the scenery include mountains, ravines, prairies, or ponds? What are the weather conditions? What kinds of plant and. . . MORE

Reflection

If you have been around a lot of clean ice and snow during the day, you know it can be hard to see because it is so bright. Ice acts as a reflector. When the sun’s rays hit clean ice, most of them bounce back up into space. This makes it harder for the sun to warm things up.

Ring and Pin Game

Native Americans played many games. The games varied by tribe, and many were based on physical skills. The point of many of the games was to help improve hunting skills. Foot races improved speed, hideand- seek games were good practice for being silent, and archery games sharpened a hunter’s aim. Are you surprised that Native Americans of long ago played the same types of games that you still. . . MORE

Salt Water Experiment

Sending Signals

Neurons send signals by releasing chemical neurotransmitters across a synapse, the space between neurons. The axon terminal releases the neurotransmitter, which moves across the synapse and attaches to receptors on the dendrites of a nearby neuron. This generates an electrical signal that goes to the neuron’s cell body. If enough input signals are received, the cell body produces an. . . MORE

Signal Lantern

Robert Newman was the caretaker of the Old North Church. On the night of April 18, 1775, he climbed the tall steeple in total darkness. When he reached the top, he lit two lanterns and held them to the window. This signaled to the patriots on the other side of the river that British troops had taken the water route to Concord.

Simple Bridges from Ancient Times

Bridges are not easy to construct. With all of the different types of support, it is important to pick the correct one for the area. Let’s start with some paper models to get an idea of which bridge is the strongest.

Simple Energy Car

With this simple car, you’ll see the difference between stored energy and kinetic energy. When the rubber band is twisted tight, it’s packed with potential energy—stored up and ready for anything. When you release the rubber band, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy—and your car moves. Try different sizes of rubber bands to see the difference in output.

Swim Paddles

Even at a young age, Ben was a good observer and inventor. When he was swimming, he saw that some kids could swim faster than others. Ben decided to experiment with ways to make himself go faster both on the surface and under the water. He believed that the size of a swimmer’s hands and feet might be the difference, so when he was around 10 years old, he invented swim paddles. Now you have a. . . MORE

Take a Walk Through Time

Life began on the earth a very long time ago. Compared with when life first appeared, humans have been around for a very, very short period of time. This activity will help you think about geologic time compared to human time.

Talking Trash

The trash people throw out reveals a lot about human behavior. Prehistoric garbage dumps, called middens, are gold mines of information for archaeologists. Trash can reveal when people from a culture lived, what technology the people used, what the environment was like, and how the people obtained their food. In this activity you will examine a bag of garbage to see what your trash has to say. . . MORE

Tetrahedron Forcebuster

Civil engineers rely on triangles for many constructions. it is the strongest shape. The tetrahedron is a shape with four triangular faces (think of the pyramids of egypt). Test how well triangle power can resist pushing and pulling forces. Ask an adult to help you thread the sewing needle and supervise as you use it. Connect the straws tightly. They should be rigid, not loose. it is helpful if. . . MORE

The Right Footing

A pagoda’s tiers hold up to the force of powerful winds by moving independently. Shibam’s mud skyrises also stand up to the force of wind. But Shibam is vulnerable to floods. Experiment with natural materials to build foundations, determining which best stand up to the forces of wind and water.

The Statistics of Slaughter

The casualty rate is a number that refers to military personnel removed from service because of death, wounds, sickness, capture, or because they are missing in action or have deserted. The Civil War had the largest casualty rate of all American wars. Do the math to evaluate the human toll this conflict took on a generation of Americans.

Through the Years

Some of the inventions we use today existed long ago, but in completely different forms. The telephone that Alexander Graham Bell patented in 1876, for example, looks much different from the smartphone you might carry in your pocket today. In this activity, you will research a product and create a timeline showing the development of that product from its earliest iteration to its current. . . MORE

To Dye For!

Has your old T-shirt seen better days? No need to let it die. Dye it instead! Next time your family boils colorful veggies, don’t dump the water. Use it to brew natural dyes the way the colonists and pioneers did. Then use the dyes to jazz up your shirt and give it new life.

Underwater Viewer

A lot of life cycles happen under water, where you can’t see them. With this underwater viewer you’ll be able to get a peek at the action. Have an adult with you when you use this viewer near any body of water.

Use Art to Show Life and Death During the Holocaust

During the Holocaust, people created art while living in ghettos, concentration camps, or while in hiding. These pieces of art documented life in these places and showed events from the artist’s perspective. Created by professional artists and everyday people, these works of art provide a lasting snapshot of life and death during Hitler’s rise to power.

Warbling Wineglasses

Ben Franklin was an inventor, composer, and musician who lived from 1706 to 1790. He created the glass armonica, which was a popular musical instrument of the time made of glasses mounted on a revolving spindle, played with a moistened fingertip. Where did Franklin find the inspiration for the glass armonica? At a musical performance in London, the performer’s instruments were wineglasses of. . . MORE

What If?

The Space race ended with a walk on the moon. What might have happened if the Soviet Union had won the race? What might have happened if the U.S. space program had continued? Do some brainstorming and come up with some ideas!

What is Religion?

Defining religion can be a difficult task. Often, our definition of religion is shaped by our family, experiences, traditions, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and many other factors. Understanding these influences in your life can be helpful as you compare and contrast the five major religions in this book. Ask a group of friends or classmates to help you explore the definition of religion and. . . MORE

What's in a Name? City Naming Project

Where Were You When?

Many people in middle school and high school don’t have memories of the 9/11 attacks because the event happened before they were born or when they were too young to form memories of it. You can learn a lot about the personal impact of terrorism by asking people where they were and what they remember about the attacks.

Who Makes It?

Supporters of globalization promise that global trade will expand the wealth of countries by lowering the price of goods, increasing worker wages, and increasing economic growth. In this activity, you will investigate where the products you use come from and evaluate the impact of global trade on these countries.

Who's In Charge?

Write a Letter in Greek

Using the chart, write a letter to a friend. Because the symbols are so different from the letters of the English alphabet, it’s almost like writing in code. In some cases the sound of a word is more important than its English spelling. For instance, you’ll notice that the Greek alphabet doesn’t have an F. So if you want to write the word fantastic, you’ll need to use Φ to begin the. . . MORE